The golden age of Indiana football many believed was taking shape in 2020 wasn’t to be.
At the confluence of the transfer portal, NIL and an inability to protect the quarterback stood head coach Tom Allen, and those forces crushed IU’s momentum and led to a coaching change following the 2023 season.
You already know what happened next in Bloomington. Three seasons of 9-27 football from 2021 to 2023 turned into 24-2 the last two years.
Now the defensive coordinator at Clemson, Allen was asked Tuesday as he prepares for the Pinstripe Bowl if he has been keeping tabs on the developments at IU over the last two years.
He has.
“Just super happy for the players, I’ve texted a bunch of them, and their parents” Allen said. “Bunch of those guys are playing for them, one was the Big Ten Player of the Year on the offensive line, the kicker is doing extremely well, the receivers, bunch of linemen, DBs, one of their linebackers, just really, really happy for those guys.”
Some of the stars of the 13-0 and No. 1 ranked Hoosiers are players Allen recruited to Bloomington, including offensive linemen Carter Smith, Drew Evans, Bray Lynch and Khalil Benson, wide receivers Omar Cooper, Jr., E.J. Williams, and Charlie Becker, linebacker Isaiah Jones, cornerback Jamari Sharpe, and safeties Amare Ferrell and Louis Moore.
Indiana has directed significant resources to football since the arrival of Curt Cignetti, mainly focused on coaches salaries, revenue sharing and NIL. The school has also received significant funds from the outside, including billionaire alumnus Mark Cuban. And a new television deal has significantly cranked up the flow of funds back to the athletic department coffers.
On his way out, Allen was vocal about the lack of financial support for football.
The Indiana native is happy to see the school turn the page and place a heavy emphasis on the sport that generates the most revenue.
“Really happy that they’ve chosen to invest in football,” Allen said. “That’s something that they know they’ve needed to do. I said that when I left. They had not done that in the past to the level that was necessary. It’s been awesome to see them recognize that and invest and be able to see them rewarded for that.”
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